The Social Place: Sharing the stories of New Zealand wine
Living in the heart of Waiheke wine country gives Chrissy Powlesland seasonal insights that delight her in life and work.
New Zealand Rosé Day is on 5 February. How did it begin?
Back in 2016, Rosé sales started to take off overseas, yet only a few New Zealand wineries took the rise of Rosé seriously at that stage. Sip created New Zealand Rosé Day with the aim to bridge the gap between consumers and wineries with education around out Rosé wines and styles for wine lovers and social media and marketing tips for producers.
How can wine companies leverage off "grape days" like this?
Wine companies can capitalise on grape days by creating targeted online and cellar door offers, pitching unique Rosé content to media and influencers and by creating engaging content around relevant hashtags on social media. Grape days offer wineries an occasion to showcase their wines and to connect with wine lovers in the social space.
How did you get involved in wine marketing?
I was the first marketing intern at New Zealand Winegrowers in 2006 and completed my thesis on marketing New Zealand wines in Germany as part of the placement. I went on to work in various marketing roles at wine companies in New Zealand and overseas and launched Sip in 2015 to be able to work independently and with a variety of wine businesses.
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New Zealand Rosé Day is on 5 February. |
What do you love about it?
I've worked in many areas over the years, including brand management, PR/Comms and market research, but digital marketing is my passion. I love being part of the digital transformation of wine businesses and to create a successful digital marketing mix for them.
How can wine companies do better in the social space?
Where do I start? It's called social media for a reason. Be social, be authentic and spontaneous. Reply to every DM and comment. Ask questions. Share interesting stories and facts.
Pick a couple of channels that match your target audience rather than spreading yourself too thin on every possible platform. In saying that, make sure to secure handles on other platforms in case your capacity grows in the future.
Create video content! Go live in the vineyard. Interview your winemaker, viticulturist or cellar door manager. Bring followers along and transport them to ylour winery.
Last but not least, create and implement a sound social media policy to protect your channels and business.
How has Covid-19 changed digital dialogues?
With some distribution channels shut down overnight, many producers have focussed their attention to growing their business via online retailers, website sales and direct customer databases - heavily supported by digital marketing initiatives. Brands who have quickly made the switch and embraced digital and direct channels certainly reaped the rewards during these challenging times.
What will you be doing on New Zealand Rosé Day?
In its seventh year, New Zealand Rosé Day on 5 February is a firm date in wine lovers' calendars. Wine businesses and consumers are encouraged to follow us on @sipnzwine on Instagram and join the celebrations via the #nzroséday hashtag. We'll be featuring some of our favourite NZ Rosé wines alongside fresh educational content.
